One creative option that photographers have available is changing the aspect ratio of captured images. This has long been available by physically cropping images after printing or by printing on to photographic paper of desired aspect ratio. The same effects are now available for digital images in image editing software available for personal computers. This post-capture approach to cropping is effective, but it is hard for the photographer to compose for a particular aspect ratio without seeing the aspect ratio in the viewfinder. In addition, it is often desirable to recompose an image that has been cropped. This results in additional loss of picture area and resolution.
A solution to this problem is mechanically cropping both the image and the viewfinder at the time of capture. Only the exposed portion of the image is printed by the photofinisher. Other systems, such as Advanced Photo System™ (“APS”) show the cropped image in the viewfinder, but expose the entire film frame. An encodement is recorded on the film and the image is printed in a selected aspect ratio at photofinishing. These approaches are more convenient than cropping after printing, since the user can compose the image based upon a desired final aspect ratio seen in the viewfinder. These approaches have the shortcoming that 6only preset aspect ratios are available.
The number of approaches have been followed in the manner of providing post-capture cropping of images. In many image editing software packages, an image can be zoomed, that is, enlarged or reduced, without changing aspect ratio; and/or each edge of the image can be individually moved to crop the image. This approach is very effective for post image capture, but is inconveniently complex and cumbersome if used on the camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,738 discloses a hybrid camera, in which the user can edit an image on a display on the back of the camera. The user selects a print format and then moves a marker on the display to zoom, crop, and/or tilt the desired portion of the image. This approach is effective, but is again complex.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,902 discloses a simpler system that uses a pair of L-shaped framing blades, in a viewfinder, to show a zoomed portion of an image. This is simpler, but is limited to zooming, without changing aspect ratio.
In the above, aspect ratios are limited at the time of capture, and a photographer must reorient the camera if a vertical format is desired.
It would thus be desirable to provide improved croppers, cameras, and methods in which a simple control can be used to quickly and easily change among a continuous range of aspect ratios presented in a viewfinder.